Saint Peter Primitive Baptist Church: history and property description

              St. Peter Primitive Baptist Church, constructed in 1943, sits on an approximately two-acre urban lot, situated between the
railroad tracks (and central business district) to the east and an i.f! dustrial site to the west. This building faces a small, largely
undeveloped urban park, and is a large, imposing Gothic Revival landmark within this neighborhood. The one-story brick
building rises from a raised brick basement and asphalt and asphalt-shingle roof.
The south fayade is symmetrical, with large square towers, topped by an asphalt shingle hipped roof, at the corners that
slightly project from the fayade and barely rise above the flat central parapet. The towers are unmatched , the west one being
somewhat higher than the other and with a pyramidal roof. The flat roofed east tower contains a louvered vent and blind
panel below that are proportionately smaller than those on the west tower. Such dual entrances are a common architectural
feature of Primitive Baptist churches . The main roof is hipped but barely visible. The central section has a flat, brick-capped
parapet and four bays of stacked two-pane metal-frame slag glass, matted green windows on the second level and three­pan
·e metal-framed slag glass, matted green windows on the first level; the upper windows have pointed-head overlights, and
all have concrete sills. Between the two levels of windows is a rectangular concrete insert that contains the church's name
and the biblical phrase, "Come thou with us and we will do thee Good. Numbers 1 0:29 ." The building's dual entries are in the
front of the towers with commercial double doors under shed metal awnings, installed c . 1990; each entry is served by
concrete parapeted steps up from the sidewalk. Metal stair rails date c. 1960. The space in between the steps, on the
basement level , contains a court with the four bays creating a hollow-core door/ two-over-two wood window/ hollow-core
door/ two-over-two wood window pattern that serves the basement.
The east elevation contains eight bays with the same arrangement of stacked slag glass, matted green windows as on the
fayade; bays 6 and 7 are blind on the upper level. Again, the windows contain two panes on the second level aiili:i three
panes on the first level. The basement level, all above ground , has seven two-over-two wood windows and a rear metal door
in bay 8. Installed c. 1990, a long concrete faced by brick handicapped access ramp, with metal railings, is covered by an
asphalt-shingle barrel! roof . The ramp begins at the front of the church and extends to bay 5, where a six-panel metal door,
installed c. 1990, provides access to the interior.
The west elevation is similar, except there is a concrete hyphen , with a metal gable roof, which is raised above ground and
has been extended from bay 7 to the immediately adjacent annex building . This sensitive alteration , designed to connect the
two buildings, was completed in 2003 .
The north (rear) elevation has four symmetrical three-pane metal casement slag glass, matted green windows. A square
brick chimney is at the northwest corner of the elevation.
The interior vestibule has an usual feature. Both entrances have what appear to be ticket booths immediately in front of the
entrances . The auditorium is long and high, with no vestibule and a balcony that wraps the auditorium on three sides,
supported by large square posts and with a plain picket railing. The ceiling is caved and covered with wood in a parquet-like
pattern; this same paneling appears as a wainscot below the white walls to the sill level, and it also faces the balcony. The
natural wood pews are in three sections served by two aisles, the central section the larger. The typical arrangement of
perpendicular side sections at the front is here modified to have only one side so arranged, with three rows stepped up on the
left side and separated from the room by a low railing wall. The dais and choir area are between the anteroom walls so
narrower than the room; the pulpit is central with five chairs for the clergy. On the floor is another set of chairs and the
sacrament table, now fitted with a microphone. The three-stepped choir section is behind the dais. The baptistry is in the
dais floor.
The most altered space in the building is the basement, which was remodeled for Sunday School classes and an office in
1978.
Closely adjacent along the west side of the church, on an adjoining lot, is a concrete block warehouse, c. 1980, that is now
joined to the church building by a concrete hyphen that is raised above ground; the old warehouse is now clad in EIFS except
for its fayade, although the new quoining wraps the corners to the front. The fayade has central double doors while its west